Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6800
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Biggest excitement since OR-7's temporary move to California! (Evidently California girls weren't to his liking!) Oregon Wild article
Of course local folks are wondering if Mrs. OR-7 is the same wolf whose tracks were found near Mt. Hood last winter. If not, there may be more wandering wolves out there!
Edited by OregonMouse (05/12/1410:15 PM)
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
Cool story. I like to think I'm Tennessee's favorite wandering wolf.
_________________________
It is one of the blessings of wilderness life that it shows us how few things we need in order to be perfectly happy.-- Horace Kephart
Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6800
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Duane, there's reportedly a wolf pack in the Teanaway area, on the east side of the Washington Cascades north of I-90 and south of Mt. Stuart. I plan to go up there in the fall and listen.
Edited by OregonMouse (05/14/1411:24 PM)
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey
Friend of my dad's had a cabin up there when I was a kid--how I loved visiting. Never heard a wolf but frankly, they were probably completely absent in the PNW back then.
Would be thrilled (and chilled) to hear them. As it is I get a kick out of coyote yips and yaps bouncing off cliffs and canyons on the rare occasions I hear that. Frankly, most trips the most "mega" of fauna will be a fat marmot. Life it tough above treeline.
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
We have lots of coyotes here. I've had them come up within 20 yards of my campsite lot's of times and start yipping and howling.
Hunters will shoot them here for sport. I don't see any reason for that, but a few years ago the area we live did get over crowded with them and small dogs and cats and chickens started disappearing in increasing numbers. Someone must of thinned them out, but there's still a pack that lives close by us here.
It's cool to hear the packs howling to each other at night. One will get going and then others will chime in. I really enjoy that.
The stories I read about when wolves were here are pretty damn scary. I'm sure a few wouldn't be a problem, but there were a lot of them back in the early settler days and they were hungry all the time.
There aren't many stories of bears ever messing with people here, but wolves scared even the hardest of the old timers.
I hunt, but never shoot coyotes unless they are eating my chickens. My grandpa told me if your going to kill something, your going to eat it. I've always enjoyed the coyote howls at night. I also don't like it when people kill rattle snakes. The same people also complain when they're over run with mice.
_________________________
The wind wont howl if the wind don't break.
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
I've seen people obsessed with having to kill rattlers. I've run across three along Bubbs Creek, way below Vidette Meadow, in the two trips in that area. Duane
Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Originally Posted By hikerduane
I see Kalifornia is moving to list it as an endangered species. Crackpots. Duane
I lived in California for a long time. The number of deer and bear that have been killed out of season out there by wackos hunting for "Bigfoot" is most certainly more than none this year already.
I've met Californians that flew to Alaska to kill a polar bear (poach) because they wanted to have white polar bear rug to put on top of their plush white carpet in the all white "Greeting Room" of their big white mansion, and there were, and still are, Alaskans who will gladly guide them and carry and load their gun, skin the bear, and take their money for it.
So I can hardly consider those who are trying to protect this very lonely wolf "Crackpots", though I agree CA has more than it's share of them.
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
We don't even have any here yet, that's what I'm referring to. One wandering wolf does not make a reason. It's the Asians poaching bear for their gall bladders and I believe road kill accounts for more deer dying than legal means. Duane
Have not been following the legislative side of things closely, but am guessing this is probably a tactical move against what will surely be aggressive moves by ranchers to stop this wolf-in-California thing post haste.
IIUC one side-benefit of an established wolf population is a corresponding big drop in coyote populations, as they're direct competitors and, actual enemies. When you see the devastation done by Wildlife Services predator control contractors, you begin to wonder why we're spending all that money to "protect" federal grazing lands. Wolves might actually help things, but there's a cohort who don't even want us to find out.
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
coyotes are good to keep rodents down, wolves more likely to prey on livestock. Redneck side kicking in here, I live in the part of Kalifornia that would like to be in the state of Jefferson, mostly rural, Republican. Ranchers won't like it. This was only voted on at regional level by F&G. Duane
Someone best tell the predator-control folks busy poisoning/shooting/etc. all those dang coyotes.
Had time to look at the CDFW web site, which says "Any wolf that enters California is protected as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act."
Registered: 02/23/03
Posts: 2124
Loc: Meadow Valley, CA
The word I got was from the online version of the Bull. Feather River online news for this week.
"The California Fish and Game Commission has voted to move forward with listing the gray wolf as an endangered species under California law.
The vote took place at the regularly scheduled commission meeting in Fortuna on June 4. Commissioners Richard Rogers, Jack Baylis and Michael Sutton voted for listing, while Commissioner Jacque Hostler-Carmesin voted no. Commissioner Jim Kellogg was not present."
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!